Flight Blog

"U.S. airlines' average fuel cost per gallon for scheduled flights rose 31% in May from a year ago and increased 1.3% over April, according to the Department of Transportation." Read the rest of the story from Dow Jones Newswires.

"Right before going to work, John Villarreal sometimes plays video games to get his mind revved up. He is mentally preparing for his eight-hour shift as an air-traffic controller based here." Some of you may not find any comfort in his warm up routine... Read the rest of the story from the Wall Street Journal.

Allegiant received federal approval this week to operate Boeing 757s. The airline first announced its intention to use 757s in March 2010. At that time Allegiant said it intended to use the planes for the sole purpose of flying to Hawaii. Plans change and now Allegiant says it will use the seven-fives for some domestic trips. The airline still plans on flying to Hawaii, but before that can happen it has to get federal certification to fly the planes over the ocean. Making the seven five plunge is a huge step forward for Allegiant, the small, low-cost airline that specializes in providing service between small cities and major vacation destinations (Allegiant provides our service to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Orlando and Tampa/St. Petersburg).

A piece of aviation history burned up last week in an Illinois cornfield. The Liberty Belle was a restored World War II bomber that visited our airport in August of last year. Below are some photographs of the plane during its Springfield visit. Read about the emergency landing and fire from the Chicago Tribune.

Tim writes with a question: "Are there any plans to bring back flights from Springfield to Detroit or Minneapolis? Also, I am having more difficulty planning trips for a timely arrival beginning in August. Please tell me Delta is not cutting back flights to/from Memphis or Atlanta. Further, are there any plans to add New York City?"

Delta tells us that it’s extremely unlikely that flights to Detroit and Minneapolis will return to Springfield. From the airline’s point-of-view, there wasn’t enough demand. There is the remote chance that Minneapolis could return in the future as seasonal service (spring through late summer). But two things would have to happen first: 1) there would have to be a marked upturn in the economy, and 2) the price of fuel would have to go way down.

As for Memphis, we believe that service will continue because it is making money for the airline. That being said, Delta is paring back its hub operations in Memphis, so there’s always the chance that the airline could reduce or eliminate the service.

Atlanta is safe and sound. The SGF-ATL route is a money maker and Delta added an Atlanta flight on June 9, so we now have four a day.

New York City is not in the cards in the foreseeable future. It’s more profitable for the airlines to connect an Springfield passenger to New York through a hub, such as Chicago O'Hare.